Federal ethics police cool to ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge might be a viral phenomenon, but some of official Washington’s ethics police are throwing cold water on diplomats and House members taking part in the cause.

The Associated Press reports the State Department’s lawyers have banned U.S. ambassadors and high-profile workers stationed overseas from participating in the challenge, which uses videos shared on Twitter, Facebook and other social media to raise awareness of the incurable disease.

A House committee sent a reminder about a rule against using official resources to promote a private charity. The Military Timesreports the Pentagon has issued a warning that says service members and civilian defense employees can’t participate while in uniform.

About 200 people in Boston take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness of ALS. (Elise Amendola, AP)

An unclassified cable obtained by the AP on Thursday says the ice bucket challenge is against federal ethics rules.

“There are firmly established rules preventing the use of public office, such as our ambassadors, for private gain, no matter how worthy a cause,” reads the State Department cable, sent last week. “Thus, high-ranking State Department officials are unfortunately unable to participate in the ice bucket challenge.”

The State Department missive follows a House Administration Committee e-mail sent this week warning lawmakers of a rule in the ethics manual that prohibits using “official resources for the promotion or benefit of any private charitable cause.” The House e-mail was first reported by Politico.

For House members, that means it’s OK to use campaign funds and a campaign Twitter or Facebook account to share an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video — but not the official ones tied to the congressional office.

Some House lawmakers have been deleting their bucket challenge videos and tweets from their official accounts, according to the Quartz.com news site. The non-partisan Sunlight Foundation, which collects deleted tweets from lawmakers on its Politwoops website, captured deletions posted below from Reps. Bob Brady and Mike Doyle, both Pennsylvania Democrats.

More than $41 million has been raised by the ALS Association since July 29 to help strike Atromyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.